But now, in better mental health and with his competitive fire stoked, he’s returning to MMA in both a new weight class and a new promotion.

Following retirement, Guymon (12-5-1), who made his pro debut way back in 1999, continued to train fighters at his Joker’s MMA gym. He just wasn’t entering the cage in the right state of mind. And though a reprieve from the rigors of pro fighting initially were a welcomed relief, Guymon’s competitive spirit soon reemerged.

“It was awkward,” he told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “You’d always have something to look ahead to like fighting here or doing this or getting ready for this guy. And then all of the sudden, you realize you don’t have to do any of that stuff, and there’s no more pressure on you.

“It feels wonderful, but it also feels like you’re missing something. Personally, I’m a competitor, and I’ve always been a competitor. Not having that, it definitely felt awkward.”

So what changed for the fan favorite? It’s complicated, of course. In fact, his situation is doubly complicated when considering his well-documented suicide attempt in 2009. With stress at home, stress with his business, and stress with his fighting career, Guymon planned to check out permanently. However, his wife and a family friend ultimately talked him out of it after a standoff with police, and Guymon underwent a psychiatric evaluation and continued to get the help he needed.

Amazingly, a few months later, Guymon – with the help of medication – defended his KOTC title with a win over Quinn Mulhern. A few days later, his manager called with the biggest news of his career: He had been given a four-fight UFC contract. Guymon bawled with joy for hours after the call.

Guymon, though, still had his struggles. While his mood stabilized and the suicidal thoughts were gone, the medication took something out of him. Additionally, saddled by injuries and with back-to-back losses to Daniel Roberts and Johnson, he concluded his UFC run with a 1-3 record and announced his retirement.

“I feel like the last couple of fights, I cheated everywhere,” he said. “I cheated the UFC, I cheated fans, and I cheated my friends because I was going in their not being able to shift it into the next gear. I couldn’t get that fire, couldn’t get that drive.

“I regret a lot of stuff about those last two fights. I could’ve asked for time, and they would’ve given it to me, but I just wanted to get in there and fight. I’ve never been one to turn down any type of fight. But I just feel like I shortchanged them.”

In fact, soon after his retirement announcement, Guymon told MMAjunkie.com Radio that his inability to feel that fire in his belly prompted the decision to call it quits.

Guymon, though, never really got away from the sport. By training fighters, including the likes of James Wilks and Mark Vorgeas, he remained active. And he felt the fire coming back. So he talked to his doctor about his medication and retooled things.

“We figured out a way to wean me off the medication,” he said. “I will be right back where I was with that competitive fire and that don’t-quit attitude. I feel good like this, and it just feels right.

“I had been trying to figure out the mental stuff in the medication, and that’s a big reason I decided to take time off. But now I’m back.”

Now, Guymon is fighting close to home in California, where he’s built a substantial fan base over the years. He signed a three-fight deal with Bamma USA, which produces the successful Badbeat event series. Now, he’s expected to meet Arizona prospect Frankie Saenz (4-1) on March 16 at Badbeat 6.

When Bamma promoter Brett Roberts was told Guymon wanted to fight again, he was thrilled. But when the longtime welterweight said he wanted to fight at lightweight, Roberts had his doubts.

“There’s no way you’re making 155,” Roberts joked with him. “But once he said he wanted to come back and fight and actually fight for us, it was a blessing. … He lights up a room when he enters it, and he wanted to fight with us. It was awesome.”

Guymon, who said he’s in a great place mentally, thinks the drop in weight class serves a vital purpose.

“It’s another thing to fire me up to really buckle down,” he said. “At the end of fighting [in the UFC], I was cutting corners on the diet, cutting corners on the training and on the cardio, the biking and running. Actually I cut out running for a long time. But now making that decision to cut down to lightweight, I can’t cut any corners.

“I have to eat perfect. I have to train correctly. I have to add in all that cardio I used to do. … The main thing I need to focus on just keeping my head on square. I think I’m going to give a lot of people a lot of trouble it that weight.”

Guymon, who’s now walking around at 172 pounds, said he’ll get as light to 163 to 165 pounds before he’ll simply need to cut water weight on the week of the fight. He’s refocused, re-energized, rejuvenated. He’s happy and motivated and healthy.

The fire is back.

“I was pretty chewed up there at the end (of my UFC run),” he said. “But my body feels good, and I still feel very capable of picking up and being at that level of competition again.”

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by Gorgeous George, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Goze. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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